Former Ten Years After Guitarist Alvin Lee Dies Aged 68

3/7/2013

Former Ten Years After guitarist Alvin Lee
died yesterday aged 68 -

His official website posted a statement
which reads: "With great sadness we have to announce that
Alvin unexpectedly passed away early this morning after unforseen
complications following a routine surgical procedure.

"We have lost a wonderful and much loved father
and companion, the world has lost a truly great and gifted
musician."

The Nottingham-born musician quickly rose to fame
after appearing at the Woodstock festival in 1969 with Ten Years
After. The bands performance, and more notably Lee's blistering
fret-mastery in the song "I'm Going Home" that appeared in the
1970 Woodstock film, put the guitarist's name
firmly among the elite musicians of his generation.

In a recent interview with Guitar World he said he still
played guitar regularly:

"I write and record all the time; it's my hobby and my
passion. I have a Spanish gut-strung guitar, a Dobro resonator and
a Line 6 Variax hanging on the wall, and they all get played
regularly."

Talking about the Woodstock movie
and his involvement with the legendary event Lee said:

"The solo on the movie sounds pretty rough to me these
days, but it had the energy, and that was what Ten Years After were
all about at the time."

The performance led to more festivals, a label change
and their biggest hit, 1971's "I'd Love to Change the
World." Although a version of Ten Years After still tours
today, Lee has not been part of the band for several years.

After the band split in 1973, Lee went on to release
several solo albums, including On The Road To Freedom, which
included guest spots from George Harrison and Ron Wood. His last
release was 2012's Still On The Road To Freedom. Lee and
Harrison would record together several times over the decades; Lee
also appeared on Harrison's Dark Horse album, and
Harrison and Lee take turns soloing on "The Bluest Blues" from
Lee's I Hear You Rockin' disc.